Tag: Blog

#AwesomeConsistency – The Value of Blog Routines

Consistency is relevant to your brand in regards to ALL of your content, not just social media. When a business owner thinks about social media marketing, a blog isn’t usually top of mind. However, blogging + social media can be a powerful promotion combination!

You’ve probably heard of other businesses that have been successful either as bloggers or on social media. This is not an either/or scenario as having a content plan for both will boost each individual effort.

Blogging

A company blog accomplishes a great many things. In this world of content marketing, it’s difficult to justify not having one. A blog is great for SEO purposes since it keeps your page looking fresh and consistently updated so that the search engines crawl it on a regular basis. It’s WAY better than an About Us page when it comes to showcasing your brand to your audience and allowing them get to know you – and what you do. It’s an organic, non-pushy sales, marketing and branding tool that often requires little in the way of monetary investment but, when done well, reaps rewards.

Blogging + Social Media

There are a great many benefits to blogging but my favorite is that it makes creating social media content so much easier! Pulling content directly from the blog can be used to great graphics, infographics, quotes, etc. A regular blog means consistent, but still relevant, content to pull from without staring at the screen and wondering what to post next, or posting from the same well over and over. This keeps the content fresh and interesting for everyone involved!

Blog Promotion

Many bloggers experience the same problem and that is their audience doesn’t necessarily think of hitting their website on a regular basis to read their blog. How do blog owners expand their reach and consistently get their content in front of people? They post their blog on their social media platforms! Linking back to your blog on various social media sites gets the information in front of the right people so that they drift to your website organically instead of relying on them to remember to visit your website. This also opens up the opportunity for people to share the blog with their own followers, boosting the reach that could have been achieved by the blog owner alone.

Blogging Routine

Since this month is all about #AwesomeConsistency – understanding the value of setting up a routine is essential. Your audience is being inundated with content – content consumption is at an all time high. Between algorithms, competition and short attention spans, it can be difficult to achieve the viewing numbers small business owners are hoping for. How do you stack the deck in your favor? Consistency. As with social media, having a consistent schedule trains your followers to expect your content on a regular basis. It keeps your brand, image, and content in the running and helps people find you. Having a break in content may convince viewers that you are no longer serious about what you do – that you are on hiatus – or that you are no longer putting the same focus into your work. Since there is more than enough content online to choose from, the potential that they will drift to your competition is high.

There is different advice when it comes to frequency and that it really depend on a lot of factors including your niche, your industry, and your time commitment. We recommend posting a blog at least once a month (at a minimum). The best results tends to come from businesses dedicated to posting weekly. Daily is too much and waiting longer than once a month is not enough. Find the middle ground that works for you so that you can commit to being consistent.

I can’t wait to read what you post and watch you #BeAwesome using the combined powers of blogging, social media and consistency!

 

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

New Year, New Habits – Getting Into a Blog Routine

Even if you don’t understand why, you know you need to blog. Everyone is doing it and you keep hearing about the values of blogging. In today’s age of digital socializing, just having a website often isn’t enough. When potential clients and power partners are seeking more information about you and what you do – they turn to the Internet. Larger companies and corporations have a digital footprint of online reviews, press releases, and branding information. However, smaller businesses lack information and personality. There is often only a single webpage with contact information to use for research. The lack of a blog, or the presence of a blog that hasn’t been updated in awhile, is a turn off.
A blog is a great way for people to discover you and determine whether or not they want to work with you. It’s a way to encourage an online following of brand advocates and individuals passionate about you and your work. It will also dissuade the people that won’t make good clients and partners from contacting you. Once people have a better feelfor your work, they will be more inclined to talk and do business with you.
Developing a New Habit
The common misconception is that it only takes two weeks to form a new habit. Turns out that information isn’t entirely accurate. This studyover the course of 12 weeks showcased that the time differed, depending on the person and the complexity of the habit. On average, it took around 66 days for a new habit to be formed. For some people, it took much longer. The point is that you have to make a commitment and stick to it. Don’t give up on the habit and one day you will wake up and realize it no longer needs to be forced but is an automatic part of your routine.
Scheduling Time to Blog
The first, and probably most important, part of developing a new blog routine is scheduling a set time to do it. It needs to be a time where there are no excuses. Also taken into consideration should be the time of day you feel most inspired and productive. If late at night sounds like a regular time that would work but every time you sit down you are too tired to write – then that schedule will never be successful.
  •        When do you feel most productive?
  •        When do you feel most creative?
  •        When are there fewer distractions?
  •        What time of day could you be most consistent?

Do you spend the first 30 minutes of your day checking your email and/or social media profiles? Put that off until later in the day – when you are tired and drained and distracted. Is 10 am the time of day you find yourself whizzing through projects or client calls? Then schedule a 10 am meeting once a week or month and dedicate it to developing your next blog post.
Developing Your Voice
This is the tricky part. This is true for every type of writer just starting out. Finding and developing your writing voice is essential. However, it’s important to understand that you won’t know what it is at first – and that’s ok. The only way to truly discover your writing voice is simple – you have to write. Write every day, if you can.
Why do you need your own voice? Without it, you come off as boring or unattached. Your voice is your personality on paper. Your audience will become curious and dedicated to you only once they begin to feel like they know you. It shouldn’t feel like they are reading a textbook. Knowledge is important but personalityis the hook.
You will find, that with time, your voice will sort of naturally develop. However, if you are having issues with it there are some things you can do to help locate it.
  •  Aim to write the same way you would talk to people.
  • Also a good branding exercise, come up with a handful of adjectives that describe you.
  • Examine blogs you enjoy reading and write down WHY you enjoy them.
  • Imagine that you are your perfect reader. What are you looking for in a blog?
  • Ask trusted advisors what they think about your writing voice.
  •  Join some blogging groups for advice and support.

Finding Inspiration
We all have moments where we can’t access new ideas. We get stumped and blocked and frustrated. It’s important to make finding inspiration a regular practice. This means examining when you feel the most creative. What time of day do you usually find the creativity flowing? What activities do you engage in that motivate you? Do you finding listening to music inspiring? Do you get your best ideas during exercise or in the shower? Starting paying attention to when you feel creative and see if you notice any patterns. Then develop a techniqueto jot down ideas during these peak times.
It’s often possible to force creativity into action as well. This will vary based on the individual. Perhaps it means taking time to read a book, or go to a museum, or watch inspirational videos online. Does the sunrise motivate you? Then wake up early from time to time and spend a few moments enjoying it. Create a playlist that you can listen to over and over again as needed. Spend some time reading blogs you enjoy or finding new blogs and voices. Grab a book and learn something. Whatever works for you, make it a part of your regular routine. Do this even when you aren’t stumped for ideas because then you will have a list of concepts already developed for moments when inspiration eludes you.
As with any new habit or activity, only the investment of time and energy will yield results. No one should expect to come out of the gate as an expert on something they have no experience doing.
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers
It’s necessary to continue to dive in there and just do it. You’ll find that, after time, you will get better and that will encourage better results from your blogging efforts. Stop procrastinatingand make a commitment TODAY to develop your new blogging habit. It’s just one more way that I’m encouraging you to #BeAwesome in your business! #NewHabits
~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube,Pinterest, Instagram  and the tools to manage them. 

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.

3 Steps in Developing Social Media Content from Your Clients Questions


http://www.thesocialmediaadvisor.com/Content_Management.html
We are asked constantly how to come up with fresh content. We all hit writers block from time to time.  How in the world do we come up with fresh content relevant to our niche in social media? Have you ever thought about incorporating answers to questions you get into viable content for your blog?
Try using consistent questions your clients ask in your blog development! 
(1) What are your TOP 3 products/services?
  • You have your sweet spots in your business, what are those sweet spots?   
  • Document your Top 3 and 3 reasons why they are your best/optimal Product or Service.
(2) What are the top 3 questions you are asked about your products/services?
  • What do your clients usually ask you about these 3 Products or Services?
    • This is important because you are selling to a need and to fill it you need to understand the questions and objections you have with them. 
  •  Maybe there are questions on the use, the value, a testimony of someone else using them before. Storytelling in your social presence will serve a high value for your closing.   
  • ***See a Need – Fill a Need
(3) What are your 3 most popular questions to overcoming objections with your products/services?
  • Why do your clients not choose one of your Top 3 Products / Services? 
  • What is your value?   
  • What objections can you overcome? Is it price? Is it need? 
  • How can you change your story to be more relatable so they can feel, breathe and understand the value in your Top choices?
Finding a need is one thing, pin pointing the value of your service/product to fill that need and displaying a visual, emotional tie into solving that need is the  key you develop your pitch over.  You will find a relatable story with a solution will bring more value to your client than a price point. Your content should be filled with industry related stories, product/service related stories and information about the industry.
Allow your prospects to get to know your expertise before promoting your value.  This will buildthe Like, Know and Trust you are seeking before  pricing apples for apples and widgets for widgets.  Because people don’t purchase from a company, the purchase because of the relationship with the person.  If your presence is relatable on a personal level, your clients will always related to your stories as a personal touch.

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a social media manager, trainer and author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Links

Sign up for your Free Social Media Analysis 
 

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Blogs Drive Traffic to Your Website

When you search for something on the Internet, Up to 50% of those search results take you to blogs. This is because blogs are drawing YOU in THEN direct you to a website. That means blogs have to be configured in a specific way to drive traffic to your website. Far too often I see brilliant blogs become stale and abandoned because the user isn’t educated on the best ways to draw traffic to it.

We help you Build the Like, Know, Trust relationship with your viewer by teaching you how to properly use blog content to enhance your social media marketing and drive traffic to your website.

We stand behind these three principles: Education, Ownership and Accountability. We want to educate you on how to manage your brand, which gives you ownership in your marketing and keeps you accountable for the success of your content sharing.

Knowledge is power

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a social media manager, trainer and author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Links

Sign up for your Free Social Media Analysis 

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